Marathon effort for cancer cure

Kieren Devisser with his bike. Picture: Tim Fraiser

BIKE riding may be one cycle closer to curing cancer.
Yarra Junction resident Kieren Devisser will be creating dust in August when he cycles from Uluru to Melbourne to raise $50,000 for the Cancer Council Foundation.
The 16 year old is aiming to cycle about 2700 kilometres for the Cycle for Cancer in 26 days.
Mr Devisser will be riding solo, with a support vehicle with him throughout the journey.
The ride will travel via Adelaide, Mount Gambier and along the Great Ocean road.
The idea came from a TV show about cancer patients, the treatment they go through and the effects it can have.
“Everybody knows someone that has had cancer, whether they’ve made it through or not,”
“I thought about shaving my head or compete in a fun run but that’s just not enough for me,”
“So, why not give back to the community?”
Mr Devisser said there were a lot of injury risks performing in such a big event.
“The main concern is heat stroke and exhaustion. I’m riding a lot of kilometres in heat for a lot of days so I have to keep myself hydrated and keep my energy levels up,” He said.
“I am riding on the highway so I have to be careful that I don’t lose concentration as well,”
On top of studying at Sport Education Development Australia (SEDA) and playing soccer, Mr Devisser is training to maintain his fitness before the event by running twice a week.
“I don’t want to overdo it at this stage, because we’re still planning and I don’t want to injure myself,”
Mr Devisser is currently looking for sponsors to donate money to the cause or sponsor him a bike for the ride.
“Whichever cancer foundation I went with, it doesn’t matter, it’s for the community.” he said.
If you would like sponsor Kieren Devisser’s Cycle for Cancer you can visit his Facebook website at https://www.facebook.com/cycleforcancer2014